I started figure skating when I was six years old. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my entire twenty-two years of life. Amongst other moments, including the opportunity to compete in Nationals, this led me to develop quite muscular legs.

If you play sports and/or enjoy them, you’ll know that your body literally adapts to the position you play!

I loved my legs. I felt strong. Unfortunately, my muscle mass lead to some mean girls making fun of me for my limbs (I know, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds). They would poke and prod me in the hallways, in the locker room, tease me, calling me fat, thunder-thighs, pretty much every unoriginal insult under the sun. Looking back on it, those girls were a messy spiral of twisted hate and self-loathing.

I would go home and I would stare in the mirror. I would try, try so hard, to see the things that they were talking about. The fat, the thunder-thighs, the big girl, and that was when I realized…it simply wasn’t there.

The only thing that was there was their own insecurity, their own hate, their own will to put people down and make people feel worse about themselves. There was nothing wrong with me! There was something wrong with them, with all of them. And they would rather put somebody else down than deal with their own issues.

I love myself. I love my body. My body allows me to breathe, run, taste, touch, experience pleasure, see the world. And guess what? I freaking love my ass that jiggles and shakes when I walk. I freaking love my thighs that could punt a bully across the room. Strong is sexy, and salacious slurs are well…not.

Moral of the story? Do not waste your time with people who are ugly on the inside. The best revenge is to leave them at the mercy of themselves.

Your friend and sister,

Miranda Renée